Biopsy samples have been obtained in a variety of ways in various medical procedures using a variety of devices. Biopsy devices may be used under stereotactic guidance, ultrasound guidance, MRI guidance, PEM guidance, BSGI guidance, or otherwise. Merely exemplary biopsy devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,822, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Automated Biopsy and Collection of Soft Tissue,” issued Jun. 18, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,544, entitled “Control Apparatus for an Automated Surgical Biopsy Device,” issued Jul. 11, 2000; U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0109803, entitled “MRI Compatible Surgical Biopsy Device,” published Jun. 12, 2003; U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0118048, entitled “Remote Thumbwheel for a Surgical Biopsy Device,” published May 24, 2007; U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0214955, entitled “Presentation of Biopsy Sample by Biopsy Device,” published Sep. 4, 2008; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/869,736, entitled “Biopsy System,” filed Dec. 13, 2006; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/874,792, entitled “Biopsy Sample Storage,” filed Dec. 13, 2006. The disclosure of each of the above-cited U.S. Patents, U.S. Patent Application Publications, and U.S. Provisional Patent Applications is incorporated by reference herein.
Some biopsy systems may provide a probe assembly having an attached needle. Such biopsy systems may also be used with a cannula and obturator, which are used to create the channel through the tissue to a desired biopsy site. In some such biopsy systems, the obturator may be removed once the cannula is positioned, and the needle of the probe assembly may be inserted through the cannula to reach the biopsy site. The tissue sample may then be pulled through aligning apertures in the cannula and needle into an axial lumen of the needle. A cutter may then travel through the axial lumen to sever the tissue sample. In some situations, it might be desirable to eliminate one or more of the components that enter the patient's tissue during a biopsy procedure. One situation may be to eliminate the outer cannula by using a biopsy system having a probe assembly, including a cutter, and a separate targeting set assembly, including a needle. Once the targeting set assembly is positioned—with needle adjacent to the targeted tissue—the probe assembly may be attached to the targeting set assembly for severing and removing the targeted tissue.
While several systems and methods have been made and used for obtaining a biopsy sample, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.